|
decus eximium magnis uirtutibus augens,
|
323
|
"O thou who crownest high renown with great deeds
of virtue, |
|
Emathiae tutamen opis, carissime nato,
|
324
|
bulwark of Emathian power, famed for thy son to be,
|
|
accipe, quod laeta tibi pandunt luce sorores,
|
325
|
receive the truthful oracle which on this happy day
|
|
ueridicum oraclum: sed uos, quae fata sequuntur,
|
326
|
the Sisters reveal to thee; but run ye on, drawing
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
327
|
the woof-threads which the fates follow, ye spindles,
run.
|
|
adueniet tibi iam portans optata maritis
|
328
|
" Soon will Hesperus come to thee, Hesperus, who
brings longed-for gifts to the wedded,
|
|
Hesperus, adueniet fausto cum sidere coniunx,
|
329
|
soon will come thy wife with happy star,
|
|
quae tibi flexanimo mentem perfundat amore,
|
330
|
to shed over thy spirit soul-quelling love,
|
|
languidulosque paret tecum coniungere somnos,
|
331
|
and join with thee languorous slumbers,
|
|
leuia substernens robusto bracchia collo.
|
332
|
laying her smooth arms under thy strong neck.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
333
|
Run, drawing the woof-threads, ye spindles, run.
|
|
nulla domus tales umquam contexit amores,
|
334
|
" No house ever harboured such loves as these;
|
|
nullus amor tali coniunxit foedere amantes,
|
335
|
no love ever joined lovers in such a bond
|
|
qualis adest Thetidi, qualis concordia Peleo.
|
336
|
as links Thetis with Pelcus, Peleus with Thetis.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
337
|
Run, drawing the woof-threads, ye spindles, run.
|
|
nascetur uobis expers terroris Achilles,
|
338
|
" There shall be born to you a son that knows not
fear, Achilles,
|
|
hostibus haud tergo, sed forti pectore notus,
|
339
|
known to his enemies not by his back but by his stout
breast;
|
|
qui persaepe uago uictor certamine cursus
|
340
|
who right often winner in the contest of the wide-ranging
race
|
|
flammea praeuertet celeris uestigia ceruae.
|
341
|
shall outstrip the flame-fleet footsteps of the flying
hind.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
342
|
Run, drawing the woof-threads, ye spindles, run.
|
|
non illi quisquam bello se conferet heros,
|
343
|
"Against him not a hero shall match himself in war,
|
|
cum Phrygii Teucro manabunt sanguine
|
344
|
when the Phrygian streams shall flow with Teucrian
blood,
|
|
Troicaque obsidens longinquo moenia bello,
|
345
|
and the third heir of Pelops shall lay waste
|
|
periuri Pelopis uastabit tertius heres.
|
346
|
the Trojan walls, with tedious war beleaguering.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
347
|
Run, drawing the woof-threads, ye spindles, run.
|
|
illius egregias uirtutes claraque facta
|
348
|
"The hero's surpassing achievements and renowned
deeds
|
|
saepe fatebuntur gnatorum in funere matres,
|
349
|
often shall mothers own at the burial of their sons,
|
|
cum incultum cano soluent a uertice crinem,
|
350
|
loosing dishevelled hair from hoary head,
|
|
putridaque infirmis uariabunt pectora palmis.
|
351
|
and marring their withered breasts with weak hands.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
352
|
Run, drawing the woof-threads, ye spindles, run.
|
|
namque uelut densas praecerpens messor aristas
|
353
|
"For as the husbandman cropping the thick ears of
corn
|
|
sole sub ardenti flauentia demetit arua,
|
354
|
under the burning sun mows down the yellow fields,
|
|
Troiugenum infesto prosternet corpora ferro.
|
355
|
so shall he lay low with foeman's steel the bodies
of the sons of Troy.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
356
|
Run, drawing the woofthreads, ye spindles, run.
|
|
testis erit magnis uirtutibus unda Scamandri,
|
357
|
"Witness of his great deeds of valour shall be the
wave of Scamander
|
|
quae passim rapido diffunditur Hellesponto,
|
358
|
which pours itself forth abroad in the current of
Hellespont,
|
|
cuius iter caesis angustans corporum aceruis
|
359
|
whose channel he shall choke with heaps of slain
corpses,
|
|
alta tepefaciet permixta flumina caede.
|
360
|
and make the deep streams warm with mingled blood.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
361
|
Run, drawing the woof-threads, ye spindles, run.
|
|
denique testis erit morti quoque reddita praeda,
|
362
|
"Lastly, witness too shall be the prize assigned
to him in death,
|
|
cum teres excelso coaceruatum aggere bustum
|
363
|
when the rounded barrow heaped up with lofty mound
|
|
excipiet niueos perculsae uirginis artus.
|
364
|
shall receive the snowy limbs of the slaughtered
maiden.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
365
|
Run, drawing tbe woof-threads, ye spindles, run.
|
|
nam simul ac fessis dederit fors copiam Achiuis
|
366
|
"For so soon as Fortune shall give to the weary Acbaeans
power
|
|
urbis Dardaniae Neptunia soluere uincla,
|
367
|
to loose the Neptune-forged circlet of the Dardanian
town,
|
|
alta Polyxenia madefient caede sepulcra;
|
368
|
the high tomb shall be wetted with Polyxena's blood,
|
|
quae, uelut ancipiti succumbens uictima ferro,
|
369
|
who like a victim falling under the two-edged steel,
|
|
proiciet truncum summisso poplite corpus.
|
370
|
shall bend her knee and bow her headless trunk.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
371
|
Run, drawing the woof-threads, ye spindles, run.
|
|
quare agite optatos animi coniungite amores.
|
372
|
"Come then, unite the loves which your souls desire:
|
|
accipiat coniunx felici foedere diuam,
|
373
|
let the husband receive in happy bonds the goddess,
|
|
dedatur cupido iam dudum nupta marito.
|
374
|
let the bride be given up -- nay now! -- to her eager
spouse.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
375
|
Run, drawing the woof-threads, ye spindles, run.
|
|
non illam nutrix orienti luce reuisens
|
376
|
"When her nurse visits her again with the morning
light,
|
|
hesterno collum poterit circumdare filo,
|
377
|
she will not be able to circle her neck with yesterday's
riband;
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
378
|
[Run, drawing the woof-threads, ye spindles, run.]
|
|
anxia nec mater discordis maesta puellae
|
379
|
nor shall her anxious mother, saddened by lone-lying
of an unkindly bride,
|
|
secubitu caros mittet sperare nepotes.
|
380
|
give up the hope of dear descendants.
|
currite ducentes subtegmina, currite, fusi.
|
381
|
Run, drawing the woof-threads, ye spindles, run."
|
|
talia praefantes quondam felicia Pelei
|
382
|
Such strains of divination, foreboding happiness
to Peleus,
|
|
carmina diuino cecinerunt pectore Parcae.
|
383
|
sang the Fates from prophetic breast in days of yore.
|
|
praesentes namque ante domos inuisere castas
|
384
|
For in bodily presence of old, before religion was
despised,
|
|
heroum, et sese mortali ostendere coetu,
|
385
|
the heavenly ones were wont to visit pious homes
of heroes,
|
|
caelicolae nondum spreta pietate solebant.
|
386
|
and show themselves to mortal company.
|
|
saepe pater diuum templo in fulgente reuisens,
|
387
|
Often the Father of the gods coming down again, in
his bright temple,
|
|
annua cum festis uenissent sacra diebus,
|
388
|
when yearly feasts had come on his holy days,
|
|
conspexit terra centum procumbere tauros.
|
389
|
saw a hundred bulls fall to the ground.
|
|
saepe uagus Liber Parnasi uertice summo
|
390
|
Often Liber roving on the topmost height of Parnassus
|
|
Thyiadas effusis euantis crinibus egit,
|
391
|
drove the Thyades crying "Evoe!" with flying hair,
|
|
cum Delphi tota certatim ex urbe ruentes
|
392
|
when the Delphians, racing eagerly from all the town,
|
|
acciperent laeti diuum fumantibus aris.
|
393
|
joyfully received the god with smoking altars.
|
|
saepe in letifero belli certamine Mauors
|
394
|
Often in the death-bearing strife of war Mavors
|
|
aut rapidi Tritonis era aut Amarunsia uirgo
|
395
|
or the Lady of swift Triton or the Rhamnusian Virgin
|
|
armatas hominum est praesens hortata cateruas.
|
396
|
by their presence stirred up the courage of armed
bands of men.
|
|
sed postquam tellus scelere est imbuta nefando
|
397
|
But when the earth was dyed with hideous crime,
|
|
iustitiamque omnes cupida de mente fugarunt,
|
398
|
and all men banished justice from their greedy souls,
a
|
|
perfudere manus fraterno sanguine fratres,
|
399
|
nd brothers sprinkled their hands with brothers'
blood,
|
|
destitit extinctos gnatus lugere parentes,
|
400
|
the son left off to mourn his parents' death,
|
|
optauit genitor primaeui funera nati,
|
401
|
the father wished for the death of his young son,
|
|
liber ut innuptae poteretur flore nouercae,
|
402
|
that he might without hindrance enjoy the flower
of a young bride,
|
|
ignaro mater substernens se impia nato
|
403
|
the unnatural mother impiously coupling with her
unconscious son
|
|
impia non uerita est diuos scelerare penates.
|
404
|
did not fear to sin against parental gods:
|
|
omnia fanda nefanda malo permixta furore
|
405
|
then all right and wrong, confounded in impious madness,
|
|
iustificam nobis mentem auertere deorum.
|
406
|
turned from us the righteous will of the gods.
|
|
quare nec talis dignantur uisere coetus,
|
407
|
Wherefore they deign not to visit such companies,
|
| nec se contingi patiuntur
lumine claro. |
408
|
nor endure the touch of
clear daylight. |